Dallas Cowboys take former North Crowley star, Tulsa tackle Tyler Smith in NFL Draft
The Dallas Cowboys talked about being aggressive, being contrarians and taking chances in the NFL Draft.
But as the first round unfolded with as much volatility and unpredictably as expected in the form of eight trades Thursday night, the Cowboys stood pat and took Tulsa tackle Tyler Smith with the 24th overall pick.
It proved to a dream come true and the culmination of a meteoric rise for Smith, who grew up in Fort Worth and played his high school ball at North Crowley High School.
“It’s indescribable to be able come home and play for America’s Team,” Smith said. “It’s a dream come true. I grew up watching this team.”
Smith’s family coincidentally rented an Airbnb down the street from the Cowboys headquarters in Frisco for their draft watch party. And based on how things worked out, he probably just could’ve just attended the team’s meeting at The Star. Okay, perhaps not, but he said he was shocked that he was picked by his hometown team.
Smith had minimal dialogue with the Cowboys during the pre-draft process. He did not come to Dallas-day, the workout for local products from the North Texas area, although one Cowboys scout did conduct a private workout with him.
And on Thursday night, it was the receivers who were getting a lot of attention. Six of them, including three who the Cowboys had come in for visits — Drake London, taken eighth by the Atlanta Falcons; Chris Olave, who went to the New Orleans Saints at No. 11; and Treylon Burks, picked 18th by the Tennessee Titans — were off the board long before Dallas was on the clock, clearing up out the prospects at what was considered a position.
Also gone were guards Kenyon Green, drafted 15th by the Houston Texans, and Zion Johnson, who was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 17. Both had been mocked to the Cowboys by many experts leading up to draft to fill a huge need a left guard.
“I honestly did not know [where I was going to be picked],” Smith said. “I thought it would be in the back of the first round or early second round. I kept the faith. It’s a blessing to be where I am.”
Smith certainly has the Cowboys’ lingo down when he talked about draft call with team owner Jerry Jones.
“I talked to Coach Jerry [Jones] on the call,” Smith said. “He said ‘you’re blessed. You got a lot of great players to get here. This staff thinks very highly of you, and we can’t wait to get you here.’ It was crazy.”
A 6-foot-5, 324-pound mammoth of an offensive lineman, Smith could open his career at guard. He is considered raw, but has a mean streak and a huge upside as the team’s potential left tackle of the future.
The last three offensive lineman taken by the Cowboys in the first round were tackle Tyron Smith in 2011, center Travis Frederick in 2013 and guard Zack Martin in 2014. All three became Pro Bowl players and All-Pros in short order. Frederick was forced to retire due to injury, but Smith and Martin are still in the game and Smith said he is excited learn and play alongside them.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Cowboys came into the draft needing immediate help at receiver following the trade of Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns and offensive guard after Connor Williams joined the Miami Dolphins in free agency.
Team vice president Stephen Jones said the Cowboys had only 14 players rated as first rounders on their draft board. And while Smith was ranked 16th, team owner Jerry Jones said that not only was he rated higher than Green and Johnson, but that he had as much upside as any player on the Cowboys’ board.
They also think Smith has the potential to be a long-term starter at left tackle when Tyron Smith retires, even though the Cowboys believe the 11-year veteran has a lot of tread left.
Jerry Jones said the Cowboys considered taking a defensive end or linebacker at 24, but ultimately the team couldn’t pass on Smith.
It was a sentiment shared by at least one other team. While the Cowboys were on the clock, the team’s top brass turned down a trade offer from another team that they later found out was also looking to target Smith with the pick.
“It was predetermined that he was the leader in the clubhouse if we had a choice,” Jerry Jones said. “We didn’t have to have a big discussion and debate. It was about as clear of on the board decision that I’ve seen — unanimous decision in the room — that when he came to use, and we had the pick to take him.”
Tyler Smith will open his career at left guard and left tackle and hopefully immediately compete for a starting spot at the former.
“Tyler will come in, and he will have position flex and will be a left side player,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “So it’s an opportunity to rep both at the left guard and the left tackle position. That’s where we’ll start him. I’m really excited about what he brings as far as his play style. I think he’s a real good fit for our offensive line room. I’m excited about what’s in front of him.”
The brash side
One of the elements that the Cowboys love about Smith’s game is his aggressive approach, which might even be described as a mean streak.
Another potential area for concern has been his penchant for racking up penalties. In 12 games at Tulsa last season, Smith drew 12 flags, which was third-most among offensive lineman in the FBS. He committed seven fouls in 14 games during the two previous seasons.
The Cowboys’ offensive line committed a league-high 49 penalties last season, but the coach isn’t concerned that Smith’s demeanor will add to the unit’s problems.
“I’m definitely aware of his performance last year, but they’re definitely two different topics in my view,” McCarthy said. “Obviously playing in Tulsa and obviously our team this year, I really don’t see any correlation to it. We need to focus on penalties. We’ve taken those steps already in our offseason program as far as the emphasis we need to do better, particularly in the areas of fundamentals. So Tyler will be a part of the program when he gets here, and I don’t have any concerns.”
“The biggest thing is he has a tremendous ceiling. He is 21 years old. His mistakes, penalties, were of the aggressive nature. You would rather be dealing with combative penalties and things you can learn from.”
Smith has only played four full seasons on the offensive line dating back to high school where he played defensive tackle for his first two seasons. He knows he has room to improve and is excited to be able to continue that process in Dallas.
Smith played in four games, starting two, as a freshman at Tulsa in 2019 before redshirting. He earned a full-time starting role at left tackle in 2020, earning some freshman All-America mentions. Smith started 12 games at left tackle as a redshirt sophomore in 2021, before declaring early for the draft.
“I want to be nasty and physical,” Smith said. “I want to be dominant. I want to keep that part of my game present. I will take the coaching. Working with Tyron Smith and Zack Martin is going to get me better for sure.”
The Cowboys have eight picks on the final two days of the draft. The second round will begin at 6 p.m. Friday and the Cowboys will pick at No. 56, and at No. 88 in the third round. The draft will start at 11 a.m. on Saturday, with the Cowboys scheduled to make six picks — No. 129 the fourth round; Nos. 155, 167, 176 and 178 in the fifth round; and No. 193 in the sixth round.
This story was originally published April 28, 2022 at 9:49 PM.
